University of Richmond head coach Chris Mooney said he had wanted to see Terry Allen play more aggressively following Richmond's loss to George Washington last Tuesday.
"I think he just needs to go out with fire, play aggressively and really attack the game," Mooney said of the sophomore forward following Richmond's 73-65 loss to George Washington.
Apparently, Allen listened.
Allen was one of the most aggressive players on the floor in Richmond's 62-49 win over La Salle University, scoring a career-high 23 points on 9-16 shooting and grabbing nine rebounds.
La Salle head coach John Giannini called Allen's combination of athleticism and skill unusual.
"There's not many guys like that," Giannini said. "There's a few [players] like that in the league, and they're just such hard match-ups. You just don't see a guy with that kind of body, with that skill set very often. He has a terrific future."
Allen's emergence proved timely, as Kendall Anthony, Richmond's leading scorer, was held to 4-15 shooting. He finished with 14 points.
"[Allen] can handle the ball just like a guard," Anthony said. "He's really hard to contain. Once he plays aggressive, he's very good. ... Tonight he came out aggressive."
In addition to Allen's production, ShawnDre' Jones added 10 points off the bench. Richmond's bench outscored La Salle's, 33-0.
"When you go to the bench," Mooney said, "and can have guys either give you a spark or be an improvement ... that really is a luxury."
La Salle guard Tyreek Duren led the Explorers with 26 points, but shot only 7-18. Tyrone Garland added nine points, but shot 4-17.
Richmond was able to contain Garland's driving and force Duren into tough shots, Anthony said.
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It was a tale of two halves for Richmond's offense Saturday. La Salle held Richmond to 23 points on 25 percent shooting. Anthony and Jones combined to shoot 3-15 in the first 20 minutes.
The second half, however, was a different story. Allen's 17 second-half points helped the Spiders outscore La Salle 39-25. Richmond, as a team, shot 14-22 in the second half.
Unlike Richmond, La Salle could not solve its offensive struggles in the second half. Richmond held the Explorers to 33 percent shooting for the game.
"We're really struggling shooting the ball even when we can get a decent shot," Giannini said.
Up next, Richmond will take on George Mason in the two teams' first meeting in the Atlantic 10. The game is at George Mason on Wednesday.
Contact staff writer Jack Nicholson at jack.nicholson@richmond.edu
Follow him on twitter at @Jack_Nicholson
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